Cabinet for air-stream cooling of filament spun from a polymeric melt in a spinning machine



Au 12, 1969 A, P, z rrsgv ET AL 3,460,201

CABINET FOR AIR-STREAM COOLING OF FILAMENT SPUN FROM A POLYMERIC MELT INA SPINNING MACHINE Filed March a. 1967 United States Patent Oflice3,460,201 Patented Aug. 12, 1 969 Claims 7 ABSTRACT on THE fm'scLosUR nA cabinet for air cooling filament spun from a polymeric melt, whereinthe filament is passed through a coollng chamber which communicates witha pressure chamber via a perforate screen. A conduit is mounted inside 1the pressure chamber for feeding air into the cooling chamber, saidconduit being provided with perforations in the portion of its surfacewhich faces 'in a direction opposite the filament being spun. Atleastone auxiliary chamber is connected to the pressure chamber via theconduit for damping air-stream pulsation. The conduit is of variablecross-section and perforations in the pressure chamber diminish 'in sizein a direction towards the spinning nozzle of the spinning machine. Theportion of the conduit extending into the auxiliary chamber is ofcylindrical construction and is perforated with holes of uniform size.

This invention relates to devices for filament formation and, moreparticularly, to cabinets for cooling filament by an air stream in theprocess of the formation thereof.

Prior art cabinets for cooling filament by an air-stream comprise apressure chamber inside which a perforated cylindrical tube for airsupply is provided, and a cooling chamber.

The known cabinets, however, are disadvantageous in that no provision ismade therein for damping the air stream pulsation, moreover, they failto provide a uniform air stream velocity over the entire height of thecooling chamber, which adversely affects the quality of the filamentbeing spun, that is, it increases its irregularity with respect to countand reduces its tenacity.

Attempts to eliminate these disadvantages have not heretofore beeneffective.

It is an object of this invention to provide for damping of the airstream pulsation.

It is another object of this invention to provide a uniform air streamvelocity over the entire height of the cooling chamber.

It is still another object of this invention to improve the quality ofthe filament being spun.

In the accomplishment of these and other objects of the invention, thereis provided a cabinet for cooling filament by an air stream, whichcomprises a cooling chamber and a pressure chamber connected thereto andincorporating a perforated built-in conduit, an auxiliary chamher beingconnected to the pressure chamber through said conduit which is ofvariable cross-section and is perforated in its portion accommodatedinside said auxiliary chamber.

It is expedient that the perforations in the conduit portion locatedinside the pressure chamber be of variable diameter so as to reduce insize towards the spinning nozzle of a spinning machine.

The aforesaid auxiliary chamber is equipped with a valve to control theamount ofair fed to the cooling chamber.

Said valve to control the air expenditure can be made in the form of anelastic spring whose lead can be smoothly varied by means of a leadscrew.

For a complete understanding of the invention, a specific embodimentthereof will be described hereinbelow with reference to the appendeddrawing wherein a longitudinal sectional view of the cabinet accordingto the invention is shown. r

A filament cooling cabinet according to the invention is installed on aspinning machine beyond a spinning nozzle 1, and consists of chambers-2and 3 adapted for feeding air, and a cooling chamber 4 which isseparated from chamber 3 by a screen 5.

Chambers 2 and.3 are accommodated in a common housing 6 and areseparated from each other by a partition 7. The abovesaid chambers 2 and3 are interconnected by means of a common conduit whose lower portion 8,which runsinto chamber 2, is made cylindrical, while its upper portion 9is tapered and extends into chamber 3. v

Cylindrical portion 8 of said conduit is provided with holes 10'of equaldiameter, spaced uniformly over the Whole surface thereof.

Tapered portion 9 of the conduit is provided with holes 11 disposed onlyon the portion of the surface which faces the side opposite screens 5.Holes 11 vary in diameter and decrease in size in a direction frombottom to top over the entire height of the tapered portion 9 of theconduit to ensure a uniform air stream velocity through the entireheight of cooling chamber 4.

The lower portion of chamber 2 is connected to a device 12 forregulating the rate of air feed to cooling chamber 4. Device 12 isconstructed as a lead screw 13 on which is threaded a nut 14 coupled toan elastic spring 16 through a lever 15. Air is fed to chambers 2 and 3from a common air main (not shown in the drawing), via a connection 17.The direction of air stream in the cabinet is indicated by arrow A.

The cabinet of the present invention functions as follows: Air from themain, having passed through connection 17 and between the coils ofspring 16, is fed into chamber 2. While passing between the coils ofspring 16, partial damping of the air stream pulsation takes place.

From chamber 2 the air stream runs via holes 10 into cylindrical portion8 of the conduit, owing to which an additional damping of the air streampulsation occurs. Thereupon, the partially dampened air stream is fedinto tapered portion 9 of the conduit.

Upon escaping through holes 11, the air stream is reflected from theinner surface of housing 6 and passes through screens 5 into coolingchamber 4 where filament 18 is cooled. It is inside chamber 3 that theair pulsation is completely dampened and, owing to the appropriatearrangement of holes 11 and the variable cross-section of the conduit, auniform exhaust velocity of the air streams is attained over the entireheight of cooling chamber 4.

The quantity of air, fed into cooling chamber 4, is controlled byvariation of the intercoil distance (i.e. the lead) of spring 16 bymeans of turning lead screw 13.

To control air expenditure, a pressure gage is connected to chamber 2wherein an opening 19 is made for the purpose.

Thus, the cooling cabinet according to the invention makes it possibleto obtain filaments of negligible irregularity with respect to count andof higher tenacity.

What we claim is:

1. A cabinet for air-stream cooling of filament spun from a polymericmelt in a spinning machine, comprising: a pressure chamber; a coolingchamber inside which filament is formed, said cooling chamber beingcoupled to said pressure chamber; a means for interconnecting saidpressure chamber and said cooling chamber; a conduit mounted inside saidpressure chamber for feeding air into said cooling chamber, said conduitbeing provided with perforations in the portion of its surface whichfaces the side opposite the filament being spun; and at least oneauxiliary chamber connected to said pressure chamber via said conduitfor damping air stream pulsation; said conduit being of variablecross-section and its portion, extending into said auxiliary chamber,being provided with perforations.

2. A cabinet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holes perforated in thatportion of the conduit which is accommodated inside the pressure chamberare of variable diameter and diminish in size towards the spinningnozzle of the spinning machine.

3. A cabinet for air-stream cooling of filament spun from a polymericmelt in a spinning machine, comprising: a pressure chamber; a coolingchamber inside which filament is formed, said cooling chamber beingcoupled to said pressure chamber; a means for interconnecting saidpressure chamber and said cooling chamber; a conduit mounted inside saidpressure chamber for feeding air into said cooling chamber, said conduitbeing provided with perforations in that portion of its surface whichfaces the side opposite the filament being spun; at least one auxiliarychamber connected to said pressure chamber via said conduit for dampingair stream pulsation; said conduit being of variable cross-section andits portion, extending into said auxiliary chamber, being provided withperforations; and means for regulating the amount of air stream fed intothe cooling chamber, the latter said means being connected to saidauxiliary chamber.

4. A cabinet for air-stream cooling of filament spun from a polymericmelt in a spinning machine, comprising: a pressure chamber; a coolingchamber inside which filament is formed, said cooling chamber beingcoupled to said pressure chamber; a means for interconnecting saidpressure chamber and said cooling chamber; a conduit mounted inside saidpressure chamber for feeding air into said cooling chamber, said conduitbeing provided with perforations in that portion of its surface whichfaces the side opposite the filament being spun; the holes perforated insaid portion of said conduit being made of variable diameter andreducing in size towards the spinning nozzle of the spinning machine; atleast one auxiliary chamber coupled to said pressure chamber via saidconduit for damping air stream pulsation; said conduit being of variablecross-section and its portion, extending into said auxiliary chamber,being provided with perforations; and means for regulating the amount ofair fed into the cooling chamber, the latter said means being coupled tosaid auxiliary chamber.

5. A cabinet as claimed in claim 3, wherein the means for regulating theamount of air fed into the cooling chamber comprises an elastic spring,the lead of said spring being smoothly variable.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,252,684 8/ 1941 Babcock.2,947,029 8/ 1960 Balsker. 3,067,458 12/ 1962 Dauehert. 3,299,469 l/1967 Charlton.

WILLIAM J. STEPHENSON, Primary Examiner

